State launches study to determine safety of artificial turf fields

Several state agencies are participating in the $245,000 study that will consider everything from the chemicals the synthetic playing surfaces release into the air and groundwater, to the effects on players of direct contact with the crumb rubber pellets they shed.
The Connecticut Department of Public Health is coordinating the study and will release a health risk assessment of artificial turf next January.
Previous studies by federal agencies and private testing labs have concentrated on the lead content of the synthetic grass, particularly in the older surfaces, said state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Dennis Schain.
"This will be far-ranging,'' he said. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station will look at what chemicals might leach into the soil from the synthetic surfaces, while the DEP will consider stormwater runoff issues. Connecticut Post, click here.